The present invention relates to polymers having inherent antimicrobial or antistatic properties. Such polymers can be applied or used in conjunction with a wide variety of substrates (e.g., textiles, metal, cellulosic materials, plastics, etc.) to provide the substrate with antimicrobial and/or antistatic properties. In addition, the polymers can also be combined with other polymers (e.g., the polymers of the invention can be used as additives) to provide such other polymers with antimicrobial and/or antistatic properties.
Various bacteria, fungi, viruses, algae and other microorganisms are known to be in the environment and to potentially adversely affect people coming in contact with them. Such microorganisms are often undesirable as a cause of illness, odors and damage to a wide variety of material and substrates. In order to combat such microorganisms, antimicrobial agents have been suggested. However, there is also a need for such agents to be both sustainable and to be compatible, and to be used on and with a wide variety of polymer materials and substrates.
Various additives and polymer systems have been suggested as providing antimicrobial properties. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,128 to Byck, U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,840 to Blakely et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,894 to Malrose et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,967,714, 6,203,856 and 6,248,811 to Ottersbach et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,530 to Klasse et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,526 to Siddiqui et al.
With respect to antistatic properties, various substrates tend to accumulate static electrical charge due to low electrical conductivity. This is particularly problematic with plastic substrates. Such accumulation can adversely affect processing, cause electrical damage (e.g., in semiconductor devices), provide a fire hazard through the formation of an electrical arc, and exposes personnel handling the substrate to electrical shock. Various solutions to such static buildup have been suggested. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,029,694 and 4,093,676 to Weipert et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,842 to Login, U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,590 to Gaggar et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,727 to Sasaki et al.
There, however, remains a need for potentially less toxic polymer compositions that provide sustainable antimicrobial and/or antistatic properties to a wide variety of substrates and materials.